Role of the vocal tract

Question 1

Role of the vocal tract- voiced consonants and vowels

Answer 1

→ Produced with an egressive air stream- the stream of air originates in the lungs, moves out from there towards the mouth and the open air
→ During voicing, the vocal folds vibrate at an extremely rapid rate
→ A stream of air is forced up from the lungs, and as it passes through the narrowed gap between the vocal folds, its speed increases
→ Air pressure between the folds is reduced and they are brought together momentarily
Their elasticity forces them apart again, and the cycle begins again

Question 2

Role of vocal tract- voiceless consonants

Answer 2

→ Produced with an egressive air stream- the stream of air originates in the lungs, moves out from there towards the mouth and the open air
→ During voicing, the vocal folds are held apart and the flow of air is free to pass out through the mouth
The tongue and the lips modulate the sound

Question 3

Role of the velum in an oral vowel or consonant

Answer 3

The velum is raised, blocking off the entrance to the nasal cavity, as it is an oral vowel the air passes exclusively through the oral cavity

Question 4

Role of the velum in a nasal vowel or consonant

Answer 4

The velum is lowered so the flow of air can go into the nasal cavity (nasalised vowels- ones with diacritics, and nasal stops m, n, ɲ, ŋ)